2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

The production version of the LRX concept heads for a Paris debut.

Land Rover is using the Paris auto show to fully reveal the production version of the Range Rover Evoque—say “evoke”—the brand’s latest effort to reach urbane city slickers who are no more likely to drive off pavement than they are to stock their fridges with non-organic seaweed croquettes. Based on the 2008 LRX concept car and built off the current Land Rover LR2 platform—itself based on Ford’s European mid-size front-drive C architecture—the Evoque will hit showrooms in the fall of 2011 with prices starting around $45,000.

Drawn by Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern, the production Evoque varies little from the LRX concept, looking like a Range Rover Sport that has been stepped on. It pushes various hot-roddish buttons, including pinched headlights and taillights, a hiked-up beltline, a rearward-sloping roof, and humongous 19- or 20-inch wheels. One Range Rover tradition remains: the “floating roof,” which, thanks to blacked-out pillars, seems to be separated from the body only by glass.

A 2.0-liter four-cylinder stretches fuel mileage, and it puts out 240 hp with the help of a turbocharger and direct injection. The company says that the Evoque will be the most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever but, considering that thriftiest model sold in the U.S. currently is the Range Rover HSE with an EPA rating of 12 mpg city/18 highway, that’s not saying much.

All-Wheel Drive, Of Course

As a Land Rover, the Evoque drives all four wheels, but this all-wheel-drive system is oriented toward on-road performance. Just in case one or two owners actually do accidentally go off-road, the Evoque includes the company’s signature Terrain Response feature, which allows the driver to adjust the electronic throttle and driveline systems to various surfaces.

The chassis tune is said to be “dynamic and sporty”—press-release speak for “like a car,” which is basically what the Evoque is. An optional Adaptive Dynamics package features the latest use of MagneRide magnetorheological shock absorbers such as those found on the Chevy Corvette ZR1 and Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano.

Smarmy, Smarmier, and Smarmiest

Three trim levels will be offered: the base Pure, the luxury-dripping Prestige, and sportier Dynamic, which gets unique wheels and fascias. U.S. exports most likely will be leather-lined across the board, with options such as a surround-camera system, a power tailgate, and a rear-seat entertainment system on the menu.

If you’re concerned about Land Rover’s English pedigree under the Indian Tata Group’s ownership, rest assured: The Evoque will be built at Land Rover’s Halewood plant near Liverpool, England, which began building Ford Anglias in 1963 and is as British as Buckingham Palace.

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